City of the Plague God

Gr 5-7--Thirteen-year-old Sikander Aziz's parents are the patients zero of a plague attacking New York City. Before they were isolated in a hospital ward, Sik's parents, who are Iraqi refugees, owned a successful deli in Manhattan, which thrived even as the family grieved the recent loss of Sik's older brother Mo. When Sik finds out that Nergal, a Mesopotamian plague god, is behind the pandemic, he teams up with new friend Belet and her adoptive mother, the goddess Ishtar, before bringing Gilgamesh out of retirement. This is a lush read with high appeal, full of apocalyptic drama, fight scenes, and stomach-churning descriptions of Nergal and his band of demons, balanced with Sik's dry humor and a cast of quirky, vivid characters. Belet is a brilliant fighter and is best friends with Kasasu, her sarcastic, talking sword; Gilgamesh is a pacifist and vegan baker; and Mo's friend Daoud (and, readers eventually learn, his great love) is a vain actor in denial that he is being typecast as a terrorist. There are other instances of Islamophobia in the story, and Muslim identity is an essential theme. The dialogue includes Arabic phrases and terms relating to Islam, all listed in a glossary, and there is even a reconciliation between Sik's Muslim faith and the existence of multiple gods and goddesses. VERDICT Featuring gods and goddesses and, importantly, Muslim heroes, this #OwnVoices tale eerily echoes our pandemic present; but readers will find escape in the entertaining balance of an apocalyptic setting with irreverent humor.--Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn P.L.

Chadda (the Ash Mistry series) crafts an entertaining exploration of New York City through the eyes of an irreverent Iraqi American Muslim teen. Ever since Sikander Aziz's older brother died in a motorcycle accident two years ago, the now-13-year-old's responsibilities have been piling up. Forgoing usual games nights with friends, Sik spends his evenings helping out at his parents' Brooklyn deli, serving delicious Arab and Medi-terranean food to passersby. One night, though, his routine goes badly wrong when a pair of demons from Babylonian mythology launch a vicious attack on him, assisted by disease-ridden rodents. As servants of Nergal, the Mesopotamian god of plagues, their false belief that Sik holds the secret to eternal life puts him in the god's crosshairs. Together with Belet, daughter of the war goddess Ishtar, and Daoud, a vain would-be actor and friend, Sik must find the ancient flower of immortality and save his city from Nergal's devastation. Combining fast-paced action and heavy doses of humor, this Gilgamesh-inspired novel benefits from a well-developed secondary cast. The touching exploration of adolescent grief, and the strong connections between Sik and his parents, provide additional nuance and depth. Ages 8-12. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. (Jan.)